Asian Test Championship: Pakistan to opt out if tour is cancelled (13 January 1999)

KARACHI, Jan 12: Pakistan will not participate in the Asian Test
Championship as well as the triangular one-day competition, also
involving Sri Lanka, if the tour of India failed to materialize.

A highly placed source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the
team's visit to Calcutta and for the triangular competition would be
out of question if the tour was cancelled because of security
reasons.

"How can the team go for the Asian Test Championship (match against
India) and triangular series if it can't go for two Tests," the
sources questioned.

On Tuesday, an Indian cricket board official was quoted as saying
that even if the Tests at New Delhi and Chennai couldn't be played,
Pakistan would still play at Calcutta and would then return for the
one-day tournament.

"It would be called Asian Test Championship match but the game would
still be between Pakistan and India. The statement lacks logic,"
source in the PCB said.

PCB chief executive Majid Khan refused to comment on the subject. But
he said Brig Saeed Rafi would be returning on Thursday and only after
his return a clear picture would emerge.